Rome, Italy | AFP | Former pope Benedict XVI has publicly urged his successor Pope Francis not to open the Catholic priesthood up to married men, in a plea that Sunday stunned Vatican experts. The ex-pontiff, who retired in 2013, issued the defence of clerical celibacy in a book …

Dubai, United Arab Emirates | AFP | The sultanate of Oman, positioned geographically and diplomatically between the rival powers of Iran and Saudi Arabia, earned outsize influence under the long reign of the late Sultan Qaboos. As the health of the royal ruler declined, and speculation turned to who would …

Lagos, Nigeria | AFP |  Mobile giant MTN has said that Nigeria’s attorney general had withdrawn a demand for around $2 billion in back taxes in the latest step towards resolving its legal woes with the authorities. The South African telecommunications firm has already battled back a string of financial …

+ Villa 1-6 Man City + Palace 1-1 Arsenal + Chelsea 3-0 Burnley + Everton 1-0 Brighton + Leicester 1-2 Southampton + Manchester United 4-0 Norwich + Wolves 1-1 Newcastle Birmingham, United Kingdom | AFP | Pep Guardiola said Sergio Aguero’s legendary status had grown again after becoming the Premier …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The ‘Stanbic Uganda Cup’ is back and bigger with yet another increase in prize money for participating teams and exciting rewards for football fans. Winning Prize money has been increased from Shs 120million to Shs 132 million for the final sixteen teams with the …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | In a rare disclosure, President Museveni said Dr. Kizza Besigye rescued him during the guerilla war in the 1980s after he fainted. Museven made the revelation during his ‘Africa Kwetu’ walk he is leading to honour the sacrifices of those who fought during the …

  Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | A number of Ugandan women kicked off the New Year with accusations of rape against men they worked with, partied with and some who were their bosses at their places of work. Irene Namarah, a former employee of Matooke Republic, a weekly newspaper, …

  Kampla, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Former president of Uganda Law Society (ULS) Ruth Sebatindira, took charge of the heavily indebted Uganda Telecom on Jan.6 as the administrator when Bemanya Twebaza, the telecom’s former administrator handed over to her. High Court appointed Sebatindira to the position after a Twebaze’s …

Auckland, New Zealand | AFP |  Serena Williams ended a three-year title drought and donated her winner’s cheque to victims of the Australian bushfires in an emotional WTA Auckland Classic final on Sunday. Williams raised expectations for this month’s Australian Open, where she can equal Margaret Court’s record of 24 Grand …

Pretoria, South Africa | AFP |  Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Sunday asked South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa to intervene in a long-running dispute with Egypt over a massive dam being built on the Blue Nile River. Ethiopia’s ties to Egypt have soured since the east African country launched …